I had the pleasure of meeting with Anthony Nicolo from Farmstead Wines last week, at Salt Tasting Room. Not only did we share some good food and some fantastic wines, we had a long, effortless conversation about one of our favourite topics – wine.
But it’s the not the wine that got me thinking today… more, it was Blood Alley in Vancouver, where Salt is. There’s a history to Blood Alley that many don’t know, speculate about and spread erroneous thoughts about as well. It’s home to a lovely little cluster of drinking hot spots, including Salt, The Irish Heather (currently …read more

I recently had the immense pleasure of being a judge at Finlandia Vodka’s “Vodka Cup“. It was there that I talked to Ryan from Hamilton Street Grill again, and met half of the Voya team and got to drink some fantastic new cocktails.

Each mixologist made 3 different drinks, using a maximum of 5 ingredients in each. The winner from the Vancouver competition went to the North American Shake-off in Colorado Springs, and then overall winner from Colorado Spings gets to go to the 11th Annual International Finlandia Vodka Cup, which will be held at the Lainio Snow Village, above the …read more

It’s officially the silly season and that means there’s a ton of parties, events and just things you’ve got to either go to or host.
Want to find an easy, quick drink you can make and impress your friends, all at once? Try Lotus Vodka’s Merry Berry Cosmo:
The Merry Berry Cosmo
2 oz Lotus Vodka
1 oz Berry Liqueur (like Chambord)
1 oz Cranberry Juice
½ oz Grenadine
½ oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
Now sit back, slurp, sip and enjoy!

As the weather (here at least) turns cooler, I start to turn to warmer drinks and red wines. The stuff that makes me feel all toasty.
Drinks After Dark’s exclusive cocktail Guru, Steve Kemble has created me something yummy and warm for the cold November nights.
To make:
1 oz 10 Cane Rum
Hot water
1 tbsp apple butter
1 cinnamon stick for garnish
Despite this looking easy, it’s a little tricky to put together. First, put the hot water (almost as much as you want for the drink) into a highball glass. Stir in the apple butter until it’s melted and mixed in. Add the rum …read more

Each Thursday, fancy mixologists, cocktail geeks and bartenders gather in a chat room and geek out over cocktails. They create new recipes, try and out-do one another and pretty much drink all night. All in all, it’s a pretty fantastic time.
I know this is a day late, but Kaiser Penguin had the wrap up from last night’s mixology chat, and I’ve been meaning to tell you about it for ages now. What prompted me this time was the winning drink, a Cinnamon Basil Smash, which sounds delightful, and I can’t wait to try it. I’ve just got to go get …read more

You simply cannot throw a good Halloween party (or show up to one) without the following accessories:
Target has some fantastic cocktail shakers for your ghastly concoctions.
And, if you’ve got beer drinkers coming to your house, what better way to keep their personal brand of booze cold but in an inflatable skeleton cooler? This one’s definitely a must-have, and for only $20! Means it doesn’t matter if your buddy decides the best place for him to puke at the end of the night is into your skeleton’s lap, you could just toss the cooler.

Finally, what Halloween Party is complete without a …read more

Today is Blog Action Day, where more than 12,000 bloggers around the world band together for one cause, and this year, blog action day is shining a spotlight on poverty.

While alcoholism affects many who live in poverty, there are equally as many of us who can not only have a drink or two and stop, but who can also afford it. And if you can afford it, it’s time to start giving back.
I’d like to give everyone who reads Drinks After Dark a challenge. Sometime, in the next two weeks, between October 15 and November 1, do something many can’t …read more

Yes, you read that right.
There’s a new casino recently opened in  Uncasville, CT, and to commemorate it, they’ve teamed up with, who else but Tiffany & Co. to offer a new cocktail called Windfall.
The drink itself sounds innocuous enough, even though it’s a pour worth $550. A mixture of Krug Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne, Richard Hennessy Cognac, Grand Marnier Cuvee du Cent Cinquantenaire 150, Chamboard Raspberry Liquour, and pomegranate juice. Sounds a little over the top, but ok so far.
The garnish is what gets ya. Raspberries and blackberries float on top of the drink, and then have been topped with …read more

There are plenty of reasons to raise a pint to the Irish. Saint Patrick, the Blarney Stone, Leprechauns.
All of those reasons might be lovely, but one of the best reasons to raise a pint to the Irish is that in 1759, young Arthur Guinness founded a brewery at St. James’s Gate, and crafted a hearty, distinctive stout.
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of that first delicious keg with our exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime gift. The folks at RiRa Pubs will design a fully functional, traditional Irish pub and build it in your home in 2009.

Crafted from historic Irish architectural elements and authentic Guinness artifacts, …read more

Jim Beam bourbon recently announced a new, multi-million dollar Visitor’s Experience project at the Clearmont, KY distillery.

(L to R): Master Distiller Fred Noe (great-grandson of Jim Beam), head of the Visitor’s Experience Project Jim Beam Noe (great-grandson of Jim Beam), Kentucky Tourism Secretary Marcheta Sparrow and Jeff Conder, VP for North American Operations for Beam Global Spirits & Wine.
The Jim Beam distillery is at the beginning of the “bourbon trail” in Kentucky, and has more than 80,000 visitors annually. The project will be complete in April 2011, and is expected to be able to accommodate approximately 200,000 visitors each year. …read more